


Birds of a Feather

by Sky_King



Category: Bleach
Genre: Aizen doesn't feature, Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Human!Rukia, Ichigo is a Shiba, Ichigo temporarily loses his powers, Just Karakura shenanigangs, Kuchiki Riki is a rich boy, M/M, Male Kuchiki Rukia, Shinigami Ichigo, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-17
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-06-28 10:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19810804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sky_King/pseuds/Sky_King
Summary: Shiba Ichigo wants nothing more than to escape his cousin’s shadow, both as Clan Head and as a Shinigami, so he decides to take a mission to the Human World to prove his worth. It was supposed to be a quick thing: dispatch a couple high-ranked Hollows and disappear. He was wholly unprepared for the human firecracker to come crashing into his life, ready to take the world by storm.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thought about making a genderbent Ichiruki, but somehow it turned into a m/m Ichiruki lmfao, Hope you like?  
> ALSO  
> This was one of my contributions for the Bleach Bang and it has ART:
> 
> [TAKE A LOOK!](https://guardian-hyren.tumblr.com/post/186353519494/my-participation-for-the-bleach-big-bang-2019)

Kuchiki Riki was not what you would call a normal human.

Besides the fact that the Kuchiki family was one of great prestige and wealth, Riki liked to think that he had been born with a gift.

Because he and his older brother could in fact, see _ghosts._

It was nothing as glamorous as they made it look on tv series and whatnot, it was all rather obnoxious if truth be told. Because while Riki could go out of his way to make small talk with them, help them pass the time and make them feel less lonely, he had no way of helping them go to the next world they’d be reincarnated in.

Riki knew full well that his was not a normal life. That still didn’t mean that life was allowed to throw him a new (handsome) pitcher to throw curveballs at him, without him complaining about it.

Riki knew his life was anything but normal, but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.

* * *

As all things, this adventure began one normal evening, after school was out. Riki had been studying hard for the upcoming midterms, and his room had gotten a little stuffy. So he did the obvious and opened up a window to let the cool evening breeze in.

There was tension in the air, the birds quietening, the smarter cats fleeing the scene, but little human Riki was oblivious to all of this as he sighed and leaned his arms and head on the windowsill. He was a student, and if there was a thing he liked more than his kick-ass drawings, was procrastinating.

Riki closed his eyes, already drowsy from his intense studying. He felt a small shift in the air currents passing him by, and then he heard the most heart-shattering scream he’d ever heard.

Riki only had time to gasp and lean back in horror, seeing the previously peaceful street covered in what could only be described as _monsters._ These creatures, with atrocious, muscular bodies all had a life-threatening hole in their bodies, they all bore the same white masks, and all had the same soulless stare as they searched for _something_. And then someone landed lightly on the windowsill by his side.

Riki was already stiff from shock, but he felt his jaw go slack as he gaped at the crouched lunatic currently perched on his windowsill and blatantly ignoring him.

The crazy man was tall, even in the hunched position he was in, wearing a very fitting black shihakusho with a red string going up his right shoulder that seemed to hold red ornamental flowers in place. On their own, it would have been enough to draw Riki’s attention there, if it wasn’t for the blade on his hip.

Riki’s heart jumped to his throat, when, moments after noticing the illegal weapon, this crazy stranger proceeds to unsheathe it and leave no doubt that it was an actual, pointy blade capable of maiming people.

“Hm, should I try to get all of them with just zanjutsu? Kaien wouldn’t have been able to do that, just fresh out of the academy right? Kidou’s off the table, if I want to make an impression. God damn it, Kaien why you gotta be such a kidou genius.” The man mumbled to himself, his rich, brown eyes jumping from monster to monster as if crafting a plan in his mind.

“Zanjutsu and Hohou, then. And, _go_.” His voice never rose above that same mumble, but as he was finishing his sentence, he jumped down, his single sword becoming two in a flash of light, which he used to rip through a monster’s mask from behind.

Blood splayed the air, and the creature screamed in agony even as it began to dissolve but the lunatic man had already used its body to propel himself into the air again, flipping around in a lackadaisical pirouette before landing on his next victim.

Quick, efficient, but most of all beautiful, that was how this man attacked. There were no wasted movements, there were no mistakes, not a drop of blood ever fell on him, this man danced with his blades amidst the ugly bodies and the sprays of blood in the air.

He quickly became a blur, moving far too fast for Riki to keep a track of him, becoming nothing but an orange blur, his hair looking almost like the reflection of a sunset.

It was gaudy, and maybe it could become jarring, but it suited this man just fine.

“Riki-bocchan?” A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts, and he turned his head as Seline opened the door herself, peering inside with a frown. “Riki-bocchan, your presence is required downstairs. And please step away from the windows, Kuchiki-sama senses a very strong spiritual presence outside our home.”

“Seline! You should see this! There’s something ugly outside, Otou-sama right! But there’s someone fighting the bad things. I wish you could see as well.” Riki said, awe in his voice even as he was already following Seline outside the door, demure and proper in ways that contradicted his bright violet eyes.

“Were these creatures ugly and evil?”

“Yeah!”

“Then I have no wish to see them.” Seline replied without missing a beat, leaving Riki to sigh on his own. They walked down the hallways, down the main staircase where his family was already congregated and chanting some obscure prayer he wasn’t familiar with.

Upon spotting him, his older brother Byakuya immediately went up to them and hauled Riki by the wrist like some misbehaved child. The younger teen didn’t dare raise his voice in protest in front of their father and grandfather, but he couldn’t avoid trying to tug himself free.

Byakuya only glowered at him before pushing him towards the chanting crowd.

“What’s going on, what’s happening?”

“We sense an evil presence outside; we’re raising a barrier to protect our home before trying to vanquish whatever lurks outside.” His father answered between one prayer and the next. He, as always, never missed a chance to frown at him. “You should go see what it is, Riki. Make use of your gift and tell us what is happening outside.”

Riki was already nodding and heading towards the closest window, when Byakuya yet again stopped him with a tug on the wrist.

“I thought Seline told you to stay away from windows. Did she perhaps forget? Or are you so daft as to not hear it properly? Is that it?” He said, voice calm and almost arrogant as it always was but Riki shrunk, properly chastised. He didn’t notice how his glare was not aimed at him, but at the crowd behind him.

“Of course not, Byakuya-nii-sama. I was just being useful.”

“I’ll check outside myself, you help with the prayers.” He said, probably not noticing that Riki, in fact, did not know what prayers or mantras they were using and was already preparing himself to stand there awkwardly until his brother came back when the farthest window to them shattered as one of those monsters came flying inside.

Everyone screamed, the circle breaking as they all tried getting away from flying shards of glass. The chanting became stronger, reaching a crescendo as they hurried to finish before whatever had breached their house, and defenses had time to do any harm.

Riki and Byakuya were staring at the injured monster, and the younger teen was the first to look up and see the young warrior running inside the house with a chagrined expression.

“Shishithsitshitshit-!” He kept repeating on and on, as he dashed inside. Without giving anyone a single glance, he raised his blades and went for the creature’s mask. “And that’s the last one.” He straightened, a grin spreading over his face as the creature dissolved behind him with a last howl. “Could have done without breaking that window, but I did a pretty good job, didn’t I?”

“Who are you?” Riki couldn’t help but ask, peering dubiously at the armed man. The man spun around, eyes wide and expression one of unguarded disbelief.

“Wait you can see me?” He asked.

At the same time, the chant ended, the prayer finalized and a wave of energy spread throughout the house.

And before their very own eyes, the man was touched by that light and in a blink, his weapons were gone, and his shihakusho had paled to a dove-white.

Riki was surprised, but nothing could compare to the absolute flabbergasted face of the previously armed man.

“What the _fuck_.”

* * *

The room was silent as they stared at each other.

Byakuya stood off to a side, glaring daggers at their uninvited guest, who, after trying to needle Riki for answers as to what had just happened, had been chillingly invited to calm down or _else_ by a very irritated Byakuya.

Riki admired his older brother for a lot of things, but he thought that staring down a crazy armed man was a feat on its own.

Although perhaps, it was rude to call him crazy, if his proclamations of being a Shinigami could be believed. The man had vaguely explained that as a Shinigami, he was a soldier that fought soul-eating monsters like those earlier, and a shepherd that guided lost souls to the other world.

That same Shinigami that had apparently just had his powers sealed by the entire Kuchiki clan.

…That had been a problem.

Since only Riki and Byakuya seemed to be able to see him and the monsters clearly, and after discovering that he was not exactly a bad guy, he had been invited to stay at the Kuchiki manor until the elders could figure out how to unseal his powers. The man – “call me Ichigo”– had not seemed very happy about this, but with a resignation that spoke of a very interesting life he had accepted the invitation and was shown his temporary lodgings.

Riki knew that the other man couldn’t possibly be happy about the situation, but he found himself glancing at him so often that Ichigo finally sighed and asked, “What.”

Riki looked at his brother for permission, and only when he scowled at him before continuing glaring at their guest did he gather the nerve to ask.

“So you, um. Your job is fighting those monsters from earlier, right?”

Ichigo stared at him for a moment. “Yeah, more or less. We call them Hollows, though.”

“We? So there’s more of you? Where do you come from? I haven’t seen anybody like you before?” 

“I’m… not sure I can disclose these things.” Ichigo replied, warily. “We’re not meant to interact with Living beings in the first place.”

“Living beings? Are you, like a ghost?”

Ichigo sighed, almost strained his eyes with how hard he rolled them. “I’m- I _guess_ you could say that. I don’t have a corporeal body, true. But I was born in that other world. Do you humans understand the terms of reincarnation?”

Riki blinked, recalling the doctrines taught by his adoptive family. “Yeah?”

“Well, when you humans die in this world, your souls travel over to another realm, which we call Soul Society.” Ichigo said, using nothing but his hands to mimic the soul’s trip from one world to another. “There they are born again. If your soul is strong enough you can become a Shinigami, like myself. But that’s a rare occurrence. My case, as many others is that just like you were born in the Human World, if you prefer that term, we were born over at Soul Society.”

“Does that mean you were once a human as well?” Riki asked, his violet eyes glowing with excitement despite his body language giving no such indication. The Shinigami soul noticed the discrepancy and it rang false in his mind.

“Once upon a lifetime, probably. There’s a reincarnation flow, but some souls are lost due to corruption or plain accident and to maintain the balance new souls are constantly being created. I could have been a new soul; nobody knows exactly what our origin is.”

Riki nodded, even as his mind whirled and stuttered trying to grasp these concepts on the go. “And what is that other world, Soul Society like?”

Ichigo huffed, “ _that_ is definitively forbidden. Sorry, kiddo it’s the law. It’s explicitly forbidden from talking about Soul Society to the Humans and vice versa. Even what I told you as already toeing the line.”

“Why?”

Ichigo shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably as to not alter the original path your soul was going to take. When you are reborn, you forget your past life entirely, but it’s said that on the journey there, your soul can sometimes stay in the world it died in, and be reincarnated as another being.”

Riki still had a thousand more questions, but his brother separated himself from the wall and nodded curt but polite at Ichigo. “You’ll be here for a while, make yourself comfortable.”

Riki bowed as well and prepared to leave but when he saw the wistful look on Ichigo’s face as he stared down at his flower-like ornaments, the only remaining article that hadn’t disappeared with his sealing and offered without thinking. “I’ll be going to school tomorrow, but I don’t know if you’d like to tag along? It’s not like the teacher would notice you. Or even care if she did. I’m not sure how interesting it would be, but sure beats being all alone in here.”

Ichigo looked back at him, a half smile on his face, “thanks kiddo.”

Riki found himself breaking composure and frowning. “I have a name.”

Unimpressed and rather amused, Ichigo asked, “Which would be...?”

“Kuchiki Riki.” The short teen announced, puffing out his cheeks and standing as tall as he could. This made the Shinigami smile a bit sincerer.

“Right so, see you later, Riki.”

Kuchiki-san will do just perfectly, thank you,” Byakuya interrupted them, still for some reason glaring daggers at Ichigo.

The Shinigami gave him the exasperated look this deserved. “You are all Kuchikis, how do you expect me to differentiate between you?”

“The others cannot see you, and I will be addressed simply as Kuchiki.” Byakuya announced, clearly thinking about the alternative on the spot and not liking it one bit, given by his quicksilver sneer. He did not, however, take his words back and instead turned to address his brother. “Riki, let us go.”

Riki wanted to protest, but he knew better than to go against Byakuya’s commands, as scarce as they were. “Yes, Byakuya-nii-sama.”


	2. Chapter 2

Next morning, Riki was already putting on his shoes by the entrance when his incorporeal guest appeared in front of him. The teenager jumped in place and stubbed his toe against the shoe cabinet.

“Are you okay?”

Riki did his best to pretend like it hadn’t hurt one bit with reduced success, but he guessed that that was better than confessing to him that he had completely forgotten about his existence.

“So,” Ichigo drawled, almost as if thinking the same as Riki. “can I really go with you to this school of yours?”

Riki beamed at him, “of course! I’m sure you’ll get bored immediately but of course you can come!”

* * *

Ichigo found everything extremely interesting, from the car that came to pick Riki up, to the other vehicles on the road, including but not limited to the trains they passed along the way.

Riki had thought that Ichigo, being a dead-but-not-dead guy would have an incorporeal body, but he could interact with the physical world just fine.

And even better, Riki could interact with Ichigo himself. Which is something he discovered when the chauffeur took a too sharp turn and poor Riki was catapulted right into Ichigo’s lap.

The boy spluttered and scrambled for purchase, surprised and embarrassed that he could actually touch the other man. “I’m- I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to, it was an accident-!”

Ichigo just laughed at him as he easily lifted him up and allowed Riki to scramble backwards. “it’s okay, as you said, it was an accident. Besides you don’t weight anything at all! It’s like you’re the one without a body.”

Riki felt himself blushing and he couldn’t decide who he was more annoyed at, “if that’s your attempt of a joke, I don’t find it funny.”

“I’m sorry?” Ichigo arched an eyebrow, as he sobered up. “I thought you were more relaxed than your brother, but I guess it runs in the family.”

Riki scowled at him. “I’m adopted.”

“Oh.” Ichigo grimaced, feeling the tension rising even more by his multitude of blunders. He looked away, voice softening. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s fine, I’m…” Riki scratched the back of his head. “It’s not like you were being rude about it. I’m glad you thought we were related. I do my best to behave.”

At these words Ichigo hummed and looked over at him again and still he didn’t say anything as he let the sound of the engine cover the silence between them.

* * *

Riki told Ichigo all about his school, everything he thought might be important or interesting in the least. Ichigo listened along, making one or two questions, mentioning some similarities and difference with his own schooling. Riki nodded along but then decided he’d better err on the side of caution and warn him that they did not have weapons, or weapons class or anything remotely dangerous.

To which Ichigo stared at him as if he had grown a second head. “then how do you defend yourself?”

Riki had to explain that the only things he needed to fear on a regular basis, was a monotonous job and getting mugged on the street.

“Like my family is ancient and some rituals and prayers have been passed along the line, but we don’t really have anything bad happening. The worst I had seen before the monsters, was a couple degenerate dead people.” Riki explained, unmindful of the confused glances his driver shot at him before they both got off the car. “Like, if they stay in this plane for long, or can’t find a way to pass to the other world, they start to deteriorate and they go insane. But they still look human.

“You’re lucky, kid.”

“I’m not a kid.” Riki repeated with an automatic scowl.

Once more Ichigo ignored the complaint. “Those are corrupted souls, about to become the hollows you saw the other day. Although the transition doesn’t take that long, how come you’ve never seen one before?”

RIKI shrugged without looking up at him. “Well, we deliver them to the other world with prayers, and they almost always calm down.”

“…Almost?”

“Sometimes they don’t, but they still disappear?”

The Shinigami by his side hummed, as he considered this new information. “They probably are the hollows we have to deal with them.”

Riki looked back at him, a grimace wanting to form on his lips. “Oh I’m sorry, are we creating more trouble for you?”

Ichigo looked at him. “Nah, don’t worry. We can deal with a hollow or two. I’d rather they be there, than attacking you.”

“Huh, you sound rather cocky.” Riki said, hitting his side softly with an elbow. Ichigo just rolled his eyes and messed up his hair. “Are there a lot of Shinigami where you’re from?”

The Shinigami sobered up, shooting him a side-ways glance. “There are… a couple, yes.”

“Is it like a job or something like that?” Riki continued asking, unrepentant. Hey, if he wasn’t saying anything, he could keep on asking, right?

“I’d say it’s more of a lifestyle.” Ichigo said, looking up to the skies. “I chose to enter the Shinigami academy even though my family is perfectly content to just let us become scholars, or researchers or work in the creation of fireworks or bombs. Which is basically the same thing if you ask me.”

“And why did you decide to become a Shinigami?” Riki asked, stopping alongside a morose-looking Ichigo.

“I have to protect them. My family, I mean.” Was all he said.

There was a story there, Riki knew. But it wasn’t his place.

Riki had to get to class, but he really wanted to just keep talking to Ichigo. He told hm he could wander the school if he wanted, stay on the rooftop or, well, be free. He’d be up there when the bell rang to signal lunch break.

Ichigo looked at the sky again and said. “I think I’ll get a nap.”

* * *

When lunch break began, Riki looked for Renji, as he always did. The redhead was chatting with Mizuiro and Keigo, as always. His back turned to him.

But this time it barely affected his mood, because this time he had someone waiting for him. The lithe teen dug up his bento box and headed upstairs.

(Missing, as he always did, the pair of eyes staring at his back with a grimace and a sigh.)

When Riki opened the door to the rooftop he was almost convinced he had been hallucinating all morning and that there was nobody accompanying him to school, and nobody to each lunch with, followed by the thought that of course Ichigo would have left a long time ago. He was a busy Shinigami, not a dog on a leash, he had every right to disappear if he so damn well pleased-

“Hey, so you’re finally free?” A voice said so close to Riki that the boy almost tumbled backwards into a deadly fall down the stairs. As it is, Riki grabbed his heart melodramatically, back pressed against the open door, as he stared up at the dangling head of one Shinigami. Of course he would be on the rooftop of the roof, Riki mused as he watched Ichigo’s upside-down head disappear and then the young man was jumping down to his level with infuriating ease. “…Are you okay?”

Riki was already brushing invisible dust off his shoulder as he strode past him, “why wouldn’t I be?”

Ichigo snorted, unimpressed, but dutifully followed the skinny teen as he picked a place to sit and begin opening his lunchbox. “So tell me, Kuchiki.” A pause, Riki twitched but didn’t say anything. “Do you know how long I’ll be stuck here? With no powers?”

“…I would need to ask Byakuya-nii-sama. But I doubt the sealing technique is irreversible. It would go against the balance of the world.” Riki replied, as he looked through the railing to the sky above.

Ichigo grunted, as all reply, choosing instead to distract himself by shamelessly poking through Riki’s lunchbox. He picked up a carton of juice and scanned the label with confusion clear on his face. “What’s this?”

Riki snorted. “What, you Shinigami don’t know what juice is now?”

Looking like a curious puppy, Ichigo looked at him with wide eyes. “Juice?”

“Yeah,” Riki said, amusement growing by the minute at seeing this other teen so puzzled by such a simple thing. “The juice is contained within the carton, look, hand it over- “

In his mind, Riki was hoping to impress him by poking the straw into the carton, imagining the shocked expression on his usually stoic face.

In reality, he was the one gaping after him, as the Shinigami had somehow sliced the carton open transversally ( _how?_ ), and had proceeded to drink its contents like a cup.

“A bit annoying to open, but hey. Gotta admit this is a practical way to store beverages.” Ichigo complimented after having finished his drink. “And was that… apple? It was a bit off, but I think it tasted like apples. Do you have any more?”

Riki stared at the remains of his juice box on the floor, back to Ichigo, then back to the floor. “What- but I- How did-?”

“Uh-huh.” Ichigo said, smiling cheekily when it made his little host blush with embarrassment before recomposing himself. He cleared his throat.

“That… that isn’t how you open a juice box. You took me by surprise, that’s all.” Riki said, folding his hands over his lap. His ears were still red as he turned to dig out two sandwiches. He offered one to Ichigo. “Are you hungry? It’s ham.”

“Thanks,” Ichigo smiled as he grabbed one half. “Very nicely cut bread, your work?”

“What?”

The Shinigami raised his sandwich as clarification. “Did you cut it?”

“Uh…” Riki squinted at the man, wondering if he was being played. “No…?”

“Does your maid cut it, then?”

Riki opens his mouth, closes it and then clarifies slowly, as if still fearing a prank. “No, it comes sliced. The bread we all buy.”

“What?” Now it was Ichigo who was squinting, trying to figure out the truth, but Riki was more than a little confused. “Who slices it then?”

“A machine?” Riki shrugged, “I don’t know. Why is it so surprising?”

“There is no pre-sliced bread in Soul Society.” Ichigo said as he undid the wrapping and bit into it.

“What? But that’s such a basic commodity!” Riki exclaimed, “We’ve had it since… since forever! I’m starting to doubt you come from another dimension, you’re probably a soul that got stuck in the past or something like that- “The Shinigami then turned his face away and made shushing sounds at him which did nothing but rile him up. “Don’t you dare shush me, I’m not some- “

Then he heard it.

Distant, distant, a soulless scream.

Goosebumps spread down the Human’s skin. “What is that?”

“That, my friend.” Ichigo said, solemn and old as he looked over the railing at something on the ground. “Is a Hollow.”

“What? But didn’t you defeat all of them?” Riki whispered urgently, twisting and scrambling on his feet to corroborate the claims. Effectively, there was the small monsters, prowling the grounds. “What is it doing?”

“I defeated all of them, at the moment. But more people die, and become Hollows all the time.” Ichigo answered, as he made a move to grab something at his waist. Something that was not there anymore. He cursed under his breath. “And now, thanks to your beautiful family, there’s nothing I can do.”

He said that, but his body was tense, as if wanting nothing more than to go down there and fight.

But Riki was distracted as he looked down again and saw a small pinprick of red. Cold seeped into his entrails as he recognized who it was. “No, Renji! Don’t do it! Get away your idiot!” He screamed, as if his voice could actually be carried all the way down.

Down below, there was an intrepid redhead who apparently could see the Hollow and in an impressive show of both idiocy and courage had decided to engage it. With nothing else than a mop as his weapon.

Ichigo cursed louder, and Riki knew his friend was going to die.

No.

No, he was not.

“Shit, okay. I’ll try luring it away and-“ Ichigo was saying, as he climbed over the railing.

“Get me down.” Riki commanded, voice as tempered as a newly forged blade. “You can jump down there and not die, right? Get me down as well.”

Ichigo frowned and tried dissuading him. “There’s nothing you can do either. And it’s dangerous, let me do it and- “

“It was not a suggestion.” Riki said as he too climbed the railing, his violet eyes vibrant in stark contrast with his shaking legs. “Let’s go.”

Ichigo grabbed his arm to steady the wobbly teen. He looked into his eyes. “Aren’t you scared?”

“Yes,” Riki answered, eyes locked to his. “I’m scared of losing my friend to some stupid beast.”

Ichigo nodded once, picked up Riki in a fluid gesture, securing his body and neck and just before he dropped the both of them to the abyss down below he muttered, nonchalantly. “Did it never occur to you that when you sealed my powers it could have also sealed my physical abilities?”

Riki’s eyes widened as he looked down at the drop.

Oh no.

* * *

Riki would have loved to hit the ambiguous bastard over the head after they both reached the ground unharmed, but he had more urgent matters to address.

He was let onto the ground and with trembling legs that barely allowed him to walk, he turned to the Hollow and asked. “What are we going to do?”

“You,” Ichigo said as he plucked two flowers from his uniform. Contrary to his first impression of them, they were not ornamental, each of them reeking of gun powder, Riki realized with trepidation as he was handed one. “Will stay put and try to get your friend to fall back with you. Use the bomb if you’re cornered. I’ll try to scare it off.”

Riki had a protest in the tip of his tongue, but Ichigo had already darted forward, with no weapon other than a flower in his hand and sheer willpower.

“Hey, Ugly!” Ichigo hollered as he delivered a massive punch to its hindquarters. This particular Hollow, Riki noted, stood on its two back legs despite looking like a veritable beast. Despite being anatomically implausible this did not slow him down in the least, as he turned around and aimed a bone-breaking kick at the pesky Shinigami. The young man slid under the looming foot and charged against the supporting leg.

The Hollow did not fall, but the stumble gave them all some time to breathe.

Ichigo turned around to shout at him, “Kuchiki, now! Get your friend and _go_!”

Shocked into action, Riki did just that, rushing headlong towards his fallen friend as the Shinigami demonstrated his monstrous strength by grabbing the Hollow’s raised foot and locking it in place. The floor began breaking apart under him, but Ichigo held on.

Why he wasn’t using the bomb was beyond Riki, but he had far more pressing matters at hand. Renji was thankfully alive and awake, staring dumbly at the fight between a spindly orange-head and a five-meter monster. Riki’s friend had several cuts, and a nasty-looking bruise on his forehead but he seemed alert enough as Riki careened into his side, pulling him up and away. “Whoa, Rik-Kuchiki-san, where do you come-!?”

“Just shut up and _run!”_ Riki exclaimed, as his friend (former friend?)’s survival instinct finally kicked in and they were both running, head-to-head back towards the school building.

Renji collapsed against the vending machine, his multiple bruises finally being acknowledged, but Riki was already looking back to see-

Ichigo had been caught by a surprisingly dexterous hand, and he struggled to breathe as the Hollow continued to lift him to its face.

Riki did not think.

He just burst back into action, heart racing a mile per hour, Renji’s screams ringing in his ears as he dashed back to the monster.

He began praying.

More for himself than for the beast he was going to attack, but something must have come from Byakuya’s insistent lectures, because the Hollow freezes just for a second.

Ichigo had aimed for the Hollow’s mask. He had dispatched all of them with a cut to the mask the other day. Riki sure hoped it was its weak spot as he climbed up the school fence, standing atop it on unsteady legs and hollered.

“Come get me, you ugly beast!”

Seeing the looming giant turn its attention to him, bottomless hunger in its sunken eyes, was a nerve-wracking experience, but Riki stood his ground. Ichigo also noticed him, and as he tried prying himself away, face bloodied, he turned to Riki and shouted back. “What are you doing?! Run away, Kuchiki!”

Riki wished he had done just that, for a brief second. Then courage burst within him as he turned to face the approaching beast. He scrunched his face, shouting as if to encourage himself, “ _My name!”_ He shouted as he threw back his dominant hand, flower bomb ready. He aimed, prepared and launched the bomb with relieving accuracy. “ _Is Riki!”_

The flower bomb exploded on the Hollow’s Mask, blossoming in a rather pretty explosion of red. The creature shrieked, hurt but not defeated and releasing Ichigo to clutch at his face.

Ichigo didn’t wait to land on his feet to launch his own bomb. It flew to the air, reaching a zenithal position over the Hollow and Ichigo chanted.

“Hadou no yon, Byakurai.”

Lighting sparked from the ground up, catching both the Hollow and setting off the bomb in a macabre show of lights.

But Riki did not get to see this. He had been so focused on pitching the perfect throw that he overstepped, lost his balance and fell backwards to the ground. He tried catching himself, clumsy and inexperienced and still hit his head against the ground.

Blissful darkness followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A second chapter this week, because it's still the Bang week!
> 
> What have you thought so far about Kuchiki Riki? And About Ichigo?


	3. Chapter 3

His eyelids were heavy.

That was the thought he awoke to, immediately followed by a panicked recollection of past events.

Riki jerked to a sitting position and almost yelped in surprise at coming face to face with a scowling Byakuya.

The older teen was glaring death at him, silent and ominous, the scowl only darkening when their eyes met.

Okay, so he was in trouble.

“Oh! He’s finally awake, you can relax now, right Byakuya?” A new voice said from somewhere to Riki’s left. This was as good excuse as any to duck under his brother’s fearsome glare, but as the words sank in he too turned terrified eyes to a certain sealed Shinigami.

“I do not recall giving you permission to use my name.” Byakuya said, his expression tight and for once, not the epitome of calmness. “Nor is it appropriate for you to use my brother’s name.”

“Right. Well, I think you’re too stuck up. Both of you are younger than me so I think I get the right to call you whatever I please.” Ichigo replied with a cocky grin, as he sat on a small foldable chair by Riki’s side. Much to his disgruntlement, he sported not a single injury and looked as fresh as a daisy.

With his pounding headache, Riki couldn’t boast of the same.

“Besides,” Ichigo continued, a truly cheeky expression on him as he looked back at Riki. “I recall someone yelling at me to call them Riki, instead.”

Riki froze.

Oh no.

He considered on pantomiming to Ichigo to please stop talking, he was in so much trouble. But alas, Byakuya had already directed his shrinking scowl at him. “Is that so?” He said, a premonition of something about to go wrong.

“Well,” Ichigo replied, and Riki almost thought he would be saved. “Am I wrong?”

Great.

He had just put him on the spot. It was his word now. He needed to answer Ichigo now, and he hated lying, and he didn’t particularly like being addressed by his surname but Byakuya wanted him to act like a proper Kuchiki and that meant being called by his surname because-

But it was stifling.

“I’m sorry, Byakuya-nii-sama. I did make that request.” He mumbled to his lap, hands fisted under the thin infirmary blanket. He gulped and closed his eyes, expecting a reprimand or something.

But it never came.

Instead, his brother huffed and disappeared without another word.

Riki stared at his back, feeling a void in what once was his stomach. Had he messed up? Had he disappointed his brother? Was he a failure as a Kuchiki-?

“You’re thinking so hard I can hear you, y’know?”

The sheer nonchalance of those words were enough for Riki to snap. “How can you act so nonchalant!? Why did you bring it up!?”

“How is any of this a bad thing? It’s your name, you should be the one deciding how people will call you. Not your bother. You’re not his toy. You’re a human being! Act like it!”

Riki got up so suddenly the lingering headache grew into a pounding and he swayed on his spot.

“You aren’t even _human_! What makes you think you have a say on this!?” He was so riled up that when he spotted Ichigo reaching out to steady him, he slapped his hands away. Riki then proceeded to cover his face with his hands as a wave of dizziness took over him. “Why? Why did you do that?”

Ichigo respected his wish of not touching him, but Riki could still feel his presence hovering closely. “I did not wish to start a fight. But there’s a spark in your eyes, Riki. You have a fire in your soul and I don’t understand why you’re so bent on squashing it down.”

With that said, the Shinigami stood up and walked out of the room. “Be sure to get your head checked out.”

* * *

Riki was excused from his remaining lectures, but he was so upset with everything in general, and he still felt dizzy despite taking a painkiller that he was fuming by the time Renji woke up.

The redhead had collapsed after the whole debacle with the monster, and had been transported to the infirmary with Riki. With his curtains drawn, he hadn’t noticed the other teen but in his search for the nurse or the painkillers, he had stumbled upon his former friend.

The young boy, taller and more muscular than Riki himself had taken one look at him before backtracking in his bed until he was sitting, with his back pressed against the trailing of the bed. “Ri-Ri-Kuchiki-“

“Fucking dare calling me Kuchiki-san and I swear I’ll-“ Riki pressed the bridge of his nose both to stave off the worsening headache and because since when had his control on his temper been so weak?

Renji was probably thinking something along the same lines, if his flabbergasted expression was anything to go by.

But then, some of the old comradery they used to have bled through his concerned face. “Are you alright?”

Riki didn’t appreciate it. Not like this. Not when he couldn’t even call his name. “What, you suddenly caring, now?”

Renji didn’t need any sort of explanation, they both knew very well what he meant. Renji looked down, conflicted, troubled.

Something simmered inside Riki, and he wasn’t sure if it was tears or a scream.

“Kuchi- Riki,” Renji said, his voice shaky. “I never stopped caring, I just-“

“Just what?”

He didn’t answer, looking at his hands. “I just didn’t match up to you anymore.”

Riki wasn’t sure if it was the headache, the gazillion problems he was thinking about, but somehow his words didn’t make sense. “Excuse me?”

“You were- you _are_ a Kuchiki. You’re from that posh, strict and well-off family now. And I… I’m just some leftover orphan nobody wants to pick up. I felt inadequate. I-I thought it would be better if…”

Riki somehow felt like throttling him.

“What?” “Is this how you’ve been feeling all this time? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t know-“ He didn’t continue, but the words rang between them, loud, clear and oh so very painful.

I didn’t know if you would still care.

Next thing they both know, Riki had climbed on the bed, small fists on his friends’ collar as he shook him back and forth. “What kind of shitty excuse it that!” “As if I would ever stop caring over- over-“

“A-ah, R-Riki-!” “Riki, I’m sorry. I’m sorry so please don’t cry.”

“Who the fuck-?” Angry and desperate, he brushed a hand over his face, feeling the back of his hand coming away wet.

Humiliating, he wasn’t worthy of-

Renji fell silent as he pulled his friend into a hug. “I’m sorry.” He said, voice like a fragile whisper. “I’m sorry for leaving you, Riki. I was dumb, and I won’t do it again, so please don’t cry.”

Riki lifted his arms, weakly trying to get him off. “Who’s cry-crying, you fool?”

“You are, you dumbass.”

Riki snorted. Hit him weakly on the chest. “You’re the dumbass.”

“I am.”

“You called me a dumbass.”

“Yes, I did.”

“You called me Riki.”

“Yeah.”

“…Thank you.”

Renji smiled.

(Behind closed doors to the infirmary, a certain Shinigami smiled to himself before deciding to give them some space.)

* * *

“Get out of my sight.”

“Is this really the way to speak to your brother’s savior?” Ichigo teased, but when this only resulted in the teen glowering harder at him, he sighed and dropped the act. “Look I just want to tell you that I’m sorry for meddling with your relationship with Ri-, uh, I mean, your brother.”

“where is this sudden change of heart coming from?” He was still miffed and glaring murder at him, but Ichigo felt himself smiling as the teen didn’t outright tell him to leave again.

“Look, I may not look the part, but I come from a family of nobles. And like, you’d be unsurprised that my own family is relatively unorthodox. But I have friends in other stricter clans and… it’s painful to see them being chained down by rules and customs and whatnot.” He had his attention, he noticed with a small quirk of his lips. “I can see you care for your brother, but have you looked at him recently?”

“What does that mean?”

“He looks like a bird with clipped wings.” He said bluntly, relieved at the flinch and surprise of the Kuchiki teen. “He’s not caged, he’s not trapped. But someone stole his wings from him.”

“How dare you make such an-“

“I’m not saying it’s your fault, Riki too has a responsibility to bear, but… He’s young. _You’re_ young. You both should be running around and laughing. Responsibility and duty will come sooner rather than later.”

“You don’t understand our positions.”

Ichigo shrugged. “That may be so, you’re human. I’m Shinigami. Some things are bound to be different. But even canaries are prettier in the air. And Riki is a hawk. Let him fly.”

Byakuya frowned darkly, but he wasn’t looking at Ichigo. “It… It is not for me to decide. You are asking as if this solely befell on me.”

“I’m asking because even just one person who respects his autonomy is enough. Don’t you ever wonder what happened to Riki’s friends?”

“What do you…?”

“I mean that redhead by the infirmary.”

“It is of no benefit for Riki to associate with such-“

“He was his friend.”

Byakuya lost his candor, as did the color on his face. “…was?”

“He got scared of making people think less of Riki because he was just a normal kid. That, if I heard correctly, is living by with no parents or support, other than his friends.”

The stoic teen looked shaken and guilty, and while Ichigo understood that this wasn’t his fault, that he too was just a teen subjected to the whims of nobility, he knew that he would need time to digest all of this.

“Just think about it, is all I’m asking.”

* * *

Had he gone too far? Ichigo mused as he watched the Karakura High letting out its students after yet another day. He was back on the rooftop, thinking about his sections today.

He really shouldn’t be butting into Human problems, he shouldn’t even be interacting with them, but…

He remembered the determination in the boy, as he faced down a Hollow several times his size. As the boy drew courage from nothing as he launched his only weapon in an attempt at helping Ichigo.

He remembered as those violet eyes shone with curiosity and joy, even as he controlled himself under his brother’s scrutiny.

Nobody should live caged like that.

And even less so, souls as beautiful as his.

Before he could really think about what he had just thought, the door to the rooftop busted open and in walked Riki, followed rather shyly by the redhead from before.

“Aha, there he is!” Riki said, none of the gloom and anger from before on his face, as he pointed a delicate finger his way. His other hand was on his hip, and he wore such a comical expression of determination, Ichigo couldn’t help but snort.

“Were you looking for me?” He asked, letting his worries slip away even if just for a moment. He noticed how Riki’s friend trailed behind him a bit meek and he grinned at him. “Hey, you were that brave kid from before, right? What’s your name?”

The kid spluttered at being called a kid, but mumbled back, “Renji. Abarai Renji.”

“Renji, huh. Nice to meet you, I’m Ichigo.”

Renji frowned. “Ichigo? Wait I thought you were-“

Ichigo sighed. “Please don’t. My name is First Protector and I am a man, thank you very much.”

“First Protector?” Riki said, more of that endless wonder in his eyes. But this time, unrestrained by inhibitions. “That’s a great name! A bit unorthodox, maybe. But really cool, and are you like the firstborn or something?”

Something warm entered his eyes, making the brown of his eyes softer. “Yeah. I have two younger sisters, and they mean the world to me. And my mother, and my dad too, I guess. They’re the reason I became a Shinigami.”

Riki grinned. “Aren’t you the biggest softie?”

Ichigo snorted. “Don’t make me come early for your souls.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Oh, how can you tell?”

“You told me, dumbass.”

“Oh, is the prince allowed to say such filthy words?” Ichigo teased, a playful sneer on his face that was promptly wacked out of him by his short friend.

“Shut up!” Riki laughed, making both of his friends smile, content.

They stayed there until the bell rang, and Ichigo couldn’t help but smile as he saw the little hawk laugh uproariously with a friend by his side.


	4. Chapter 4

Riki was doing his homework when another of those ungodly shrieks disturbed their peaceful evening.

He looked back at the previously-snoozing Shinigami and saw him ready to leap out of the window. His muscles were tense, eyes focused, but when Riki looked at him, Ichigo directed a smile at him, extended a hand. “Wanna come?”

Riki spluttered, confused and alarmed. And then, a big grin began growing on his lips, and he darted to the window, and forgetting his position, and decorum, he grabbed his hand and jumped out of the window with him.

Riki spread out his wings, and began to fly.

* * *

Riki was handed a bomb again, and while it still made his stomach queasy, he was much more focused on protecting the unfortunate souls that had almost been eaten by another looming giant. Ichigo was once again taunting it, but since Riki and the ghosts had successfully gotten out of the way in time, Ichigo had no problem with casting more of his electrifying magic. He stabbed it on the foot with a broken pipe he had somehow gotten his hands on, and toppled the monster.

Riki found it curious how despite its size and dimensions, the destruction as it fell down to the ground was rather minimal. Ichigo hurried to somehow bind it with more magic _–bakudou? –_ and then stab it through the face with that rusty pipe that was now aflame. With one last screech of pain, the creature began to dissolve.

* * *

“Everyone okay?” Ichigo said, walking up to them as soon as he was done, sweaty and sooty but otherwise unharmed. Riki shivered when a cold hand grabbed his shoulder, as the ghost of an elderly man peeked at the Shinigami from behind.

“yes, thanks to you two. I thought we were going to die again, haha.” The man said, with a grimace and a forced laugh. “Are you here to guide us, young men?”

Ichigo’s shoulders fell, as he grimaced to the floor. “I’m sorry. I should be the one but… I can’t. My powers are sealed. I can keep you safe from Hollows, but I can’t take you home. You’ll have to wait a little longer.”

The spirits shared an uneasy look before the same man as before spoke. “Waiting does us no good. You’ve seen the others.” The hollows.

“I know.” Ichigo simply said. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not like it was your fault.” Riki hurried to say, hating to see his friend looking so hopeless. The ghosts turned to him. “Sorry, my family got attacked by hollows and he got caught in the crossfire…” He trailed off as a thought occurred to him. A thought that might help all of them. “Wait do you think that maybe our family would know how to send the ghosts off?”

“… it may be worth the shot. If not, I’ll still be trying to get my powers back. And if _not_ , surely another Shinigami should be dispatched soon enough.”

* * *

It was, of course, when they return to these same ghosts for Riki to perform konsou on them, that another Shinigami appeared out of a senkaimon close by.

Riki could barely scoop up the leftover talismans where the ghosts had once been when Ichigo bodily removed the both of them from open space with a mumbled, “oh no.”

Which was already worrying, but the sealed Shinigami didn’t give Riki much of a chance to protest, and soon he found himself buried against his chest, as they trespassed into some (hopefully) abandoned building.

Stupidly enough, Riki’s first thoughts was that Ichigo had a heartbeat. Did that mean that Shinigami were actually alive, then?

Then he looked up and saw the anxiety on his face as he scanned the skies. “Is it a hollow?” Riki felt the need to ask, oddly calm despite still being crushed against Ichigo’s chest.

Ichigo scowled at him and made shushing sounds, before he reassumed looking at the sky. When the coast was apparently clear, he finally relaxed, letting his shoulders sag, and leaning back on the closest wall.

Riki looked up at him again, amusement rather than annoyance tugging at his lips at his now awkward position– almost on his tiptoes and his butt sticking out unless he wanted to fall on top of Ichigo himself. “So… you gonna let go, or should I make myself comfortable?”

Ichigo cursed under his breath as he released the teen, which unfortunately was such a hasty move, the boy actually was knocked against his chest.

Riki cursed, holding his bruised nose. “Don’t you know the meaning of gentle?!”

“Oh, it wasn’t that bad don’t whine.” Ichigo said with an eye roll as he turned to scan their surroundings one last time. “Okay, coast’s clear.”

“From what?” Riki insisted, as he trailed behind the man and they began making their way back to the Kuchiki household.

“It looks like another Shinigami has already been dispatched here as well. I wasn’t notified at all.” Ichigo explained, hands in his pockets and wearing a rather thunderous expression. “And it hasn’t really been that long anyway, there shouldn’t be the need to dispatch them.”

“Couldn’t they be looking for you?”

“Why would-?” Ichigo stopped walking, horrified realization filling his expression. “Oh no,” he whispered. “You’re not saying _Kaien_ reported me as missing, are you?!”

“Who?”

“I. am going to _murder him.”_ Ichigo declared, picking up the pace and almost leaving Riki behind. “Not even _my father_ gives me so much trouble, I swear…”

“Who’s Kaien?” Riki asked again, deciding that he might as well jog to keep up with Ichigo’s longer strides. “And why would you want to murder him?”

“Kaien’s my meddlesome cousin.” Ichigo explained, still fuming. “He’s a lauded genius, and he is Clan Head _and_ an older brother, so I don’t know how he finds the time to fucking meddle with every little aspect of my life.”

“He sounds like a kind leader.”

“He sounds like an annoying leader, more like it. I’ve been gone for a week, Riki. A week! All within the scope of my mission. I haven’t been reporting back, because I can’t open the communication channel without reiatsu, but surely the Hollows I’ve taken out should say something?”

“We’re still not sure if this new Shinigami is looking for you though.” Riki supplied again, a smile on his face. Ichigo scowled at him as reflex, but finally noticed he was walking too fast and slowing down to give Riki a break.

“Yeah, but literally nobody else would dispatch a Shinigami within _one week_ of my assignment. Not if the Hollows have been timely dispatched.”

“Shouldn’t you pop in and say hi to whoever it is, then?”

“I had my powers sealed, remember? What do you think this coddling, mother hen would do if he knew? He’s capable of ditching his _captain_ to come hunt me down. No thanks, I have dignity.”

“And not finding you here wouldn’t set off even more alarms? If he’d be worried about you being sealed, wouldn’t he be more worried if you weren’t found?”

Ichigo stopped on his tracks. “Oh for fucks sake!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kurosaki Ichigo, having a family crisis.
> 
> Have you been liking it so far?


	5. Chapter 5

This Riki decided, as he huddled behind the tree Ichigo was casually leaning against, was really dumb.

So his genius of a friend had thought that tricking whoever had been dispatched, into thinking Ichigo still had his powers was the answer to all of his problems.

Ichigo was sure the other Shinigami didn’t actually know him, so he wasn’t worried over them picking up on the fact that the reiatsu they could feel did not in fact, belong to him.

Riki still wasn’t too sure how he had accepted to act as his energy-double, or whatever this was, but hey, it was relatively harmless, and he was helping his friend.

Even if this idea was really, really dumb.

And if it actually worked, it would make the Shinigami that much dumber.

Funnily enough, he ended up learning a lot about his friend, like this.

* * *

“Hey,” Ichigo said, voice snappy and commanding. The other Shinigami –who turned out to be a dark-skinned man with purple hair and enough pomposity to rival Riki’s grandfather– immediately snapped to attention.

Despite the fact of looking at everything down his nose, the stranger’s face lightened up in clear recognition– and when he bowed first, Riki suddenly understood that Ichigo was really nobility.

“Shiba-dono. I was not aware your family had dispatched someone already.” He paused, then allowed a condescending grin on his face. “Or perhaps your cousin didn’t think you would be enough to deal with this Hollow pest.”

“What the Shiba clan head decides to do, is none of your business.” Ichigo replied without missing a beat, strength behind his every word. “Besides, it’s more likely your clan wanted to give you an easy mission. There are no more hollows, you can go back home to mommy.”

“I pity the woman who will become your bride. Unlike you goon, I was sent here to dispatch the remaining Hollows and study the area to pick a suitable sentry.”

“Careful with your words, Shihoin. I might ask for your sister in marriage, just to spite you.”

“You would not.”

“The Shiba-Shihoin alliance can only grow stronger, I don’t see why would anyone refuse. Besides, let’s be real, lauded genius, graduated early from the academy? Who would say no?”

“Anyone with brains, clearly. Shihoin-sama would never allow it.”

“You must be from a branch family then. How else would you think Yoruichi-san wouldn’t be doing anything in her power to get me into her clan? The only reason it hasn’t happened yet is because she respects my wishes, and Kaien doesn’t do arranged marriages if he can help it. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but I have time to decide.” Ichigo laughed, amused by how the uppity man in front of him visibly wavered. And when his shoulders finally gave way to a more submissive posture, Ichigo knew he had won another stupid argument.

“Now, go do your mission and leave me be. I am known to have quite a temper; it would be a pity if you really made me lose it.”

“...I will take my leave then.”

“He’s gone now.” Riki said into the silence, not quite turning around. He heard Ichigo sigh tiredly and he didn’t know how to make him cheer up. “Sorry about all that. Must be difficult. But hey, at least you’ll never have to worry about being alone.”

“Honestly at this point that’s the only thing I want.”

“Don’t you wish you had a girlfriend, though? Maybe a wife is too much but, surely…”

“I don’t think I’m into girls. Problem number one. My father being the thickest dumbass in existence is problem two to nine-hundred.”

“Oh.” Riki simply said, he nodded to himself and suddenly broke out into a blush. “Oh.” He repeats, as a revelation appeared before him.

“Anyway, they won’t be bothering me for a while. Let’s get you home.” Ichigo said, ruffling his hair as he passed by him.

* * *

“So you’re like, real nobility? You weren’t just trying to make yourself look better?”

“Is that seriously what you thought of me?” The Shinigami asked, half-way incredulous, half mortally offended.

Riki was unrepentant. “Maybe.”

Ichigo pushed the back of his head down, a grin on his face. “You smart-ass.” His hand lingered on his hair a second longer. “It’s good to see your real self.”

“Wh-what?” Riki stammered, somehow, for some reason flustered. “What do you mean by real self?”

“Uh,” Ichigo considered the pros and the cons of explaining it to him, then just decided not to. “Normally people act politer when they know I’m a noble. But honestly I just forget you’re a dumbass.”

“You’re the dumbass!” Riki replied on instinct, as he added. “Besides now I treat you how I please because you’re my… my, uh, friend.”

Ichigo grinned and cooed. “Awww, is the big boy Riki blushing?

He saw it coming, yet still did not avoid the weak punch Riki aimed at him. Riki tried kicking him next, but at this point his embarrassment just made him look to the ground, trying not to die of shame.

Ichigo laughed again, and raised a hand to mess with black locks. His hand hesitated on the air as he was hit with a realization.

What was he doing?

He was a Shinigami. He was human. Even worse, a rich and posh human.

Could they really be friends?

Even if Ichigo had to leave when his mission ended?

Riki chanced a look up, curiosity and trust shining in that beautiful amethyst.

Ichigo let the hand land, a little distracted by how his hand began carding through his hair without his permission. The Shinigami looked at him again and was hit with yet another realization.

Riki did not talk to him because of his position, of his wealth, or family status.

The man with the beautiful eyes looked at him just for who he was.

And that was strictly forbidden.

The correct thing would be for him to retreat, keep his distance until his powers were returned and then he should just finish his mission and leave.

“Ichigo is there something wrong?” Riki said, grabbing his hand so he could lift his head to look at him. He didn’t let go even as he straightened completely.

Ichigo felt laughter bubbling up inside him. Laughter that tasted bitter and acid. “No, it’s nothing. I’m just happy to have earned myself such a brave little friend.”

Riki actually pouted, which was completely unfair.

Ichigo joked and let himself be punched again as he made some more smart-ass remarks, but Riki was not blind. He saw the sobriety in his eyes and wondered what was wrong.

Maybe it was time to ask his family how much longer would Ichigo need to wait before getting his powers back.

(He couldn’t understand why this planted a seed of loneliness in his heart.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm visiting home, which has thrown everything into chaos lmfao. I think the last piece is gonna be split in two more chapters?

**Author's Note:**

> I should be getting one chapter a week out, hope you liked this first one! Thanks for reading and don't forget to drop a comment!


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